Shure

Shure Microphones

Shure began life as the Shure Radio Company in April 1925 by Sidney Shure and was a one-man company selling radio component kits before factory-built radio sets were marketed. When the Great Depression hit the United States of America, the market for radio component kits declined and Shure became the exclusive distributor for a small microphone manufacturer.

Skip to the late 1930s and we see the release of the Model 55 Unidyne Shure microphone. This classic microphone defined an era and is still available today. Used by a series of historic figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy to deliver their messages, the 55 Unidyne was the basis of microphones that even became an integral accessory for performers like king of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis Presley.

Shure Model 55S

In 1951 the Shure Model 55S was introduced and this is the microphone that is often simply referred to as the ‘Elvis Mic’ due to its frequent use by Elvis Presley and is actually the microphone that was depicted with Elvis on the commemorative Elvis stamp issued in 1993 by the U.S. Postal Service.

The 1950s also saw another fantastic innovation from Shure; the world’s first wireless microphone system for performers; the Shure Vagabond which was powered by two hearing aid batteries – a far cry from Shure wireless microphones available today such as the Shure PSM200 Wireless System.

Moving into the 1960s and Shure produce two of the most popular and successful microphones of all time. Firstly, in 1965 Shure launched the Shure SM57 (with the SM standing for “Studio Microphone”). The Shure SM57 is a unidirectional dynamic studio microphone, renowned across the world for unparalleled performance as an instrument microphone.

Shure SM58

Then, in 1966 we saw the introduction of the Shure SM58 which went on to be adopted by rock-and-roll musicians such as The Who and The Rolling Stones, who appreciate the unique combination of reliability and sound quality that comes in the rugged, tough construction of the SM58 microphone. The SM58 is still the most popular microphone in the world today.

In 1982, the best-selling album of all time; Michael Jackson’s Thriller was released with Michael’s vocals have been recorded using a Shure SM7. The Shure SM7 is still available today in the updated SM7B version… and if it’s good enough for Thriller that’s good enough for me!

Shure Motiv Microphones

Fast forward to the 21st Century and Shure are still industry leaders in the field of sound technology and audio capture. The recent release of the Shure Motiv digital microphones saw digital integration and compatibility with mobile devices like we have never seen before. Microphones specifically designed as iOS microphones, allowing you to have Shure as your recording partner through iPhone microphone or iPad microphone. The Motiv Series microphones even have their own dedicated iOS app; ShurePlus Motiv.

Despite the modern capabilities of the Shure Motiv series, they have a great vintage look about them, particularly the grille on the Shure MV5 and Shure MV51 microphones; a true blast from the past but with innovative and modern features.

Shure Headphones

After all this talk of microphones, we haven’t even begun to talk about the amazing Shure headphones available!

The SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones have a precisely tailored frequency response with a wide frequency range of 5 Hz to 25 kHz bringing you rich bass tones, clear mid-range and extended highs. The closed-back circumaural design offers immersive sound whilst also reducing background noise so you have pure audio from your source, perfect for use as a reference point during mixing and mastering stages.

Even personal audio enjoyment can be taken to the next level with sound isolating earphones such as the Shure SE215m+ special edition in-ear headphones. Offering fantastic audio quality with an included microphone with buttons so you can use them with iOS and Android devices to listen to music and make calls.

The SE215 earphones also come with a variety of sleeves in multiple shapes and sizes. These flexible sleeves were designed with two things in mind. Firstly; comfort – each sleeve is soft and flexible and come in different shapes and sizes allowing you to find the perfect fit. Secondly; noise isolation – the comfortable sound isolating sleeves block up to 37 dB of ambient noise. This sound isolating technology prevents outside noise from interfering with your listening experience, whether you’re on-stage or on the go.

Whatever your audio needs are, chances are that Shure has it covered. As official Shure UK dealers, if you want to check out some Shure gear then make sure you peruse our stock online at PMT Online or come into one of our stores and check things out for yourself!